Nature Reserve Will Be Restored As Tourist Site

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July 4, 1999

PONCE, Puerto Rico - Caja de Muerto island soon will spring to life as a tourist destination. The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources is spending $200 million to develop the project and is arranging concessions with private companies that will ferry tourists to the nature reserve, department Secretary Daniel Pagan Rosa said.

``The reserve will be an educational workshop for our children and future generations'' that aims to raise environmental awareness, Pagan Rosa said. The department already has approved a concession with the boat Island Adventure, which can carry 40 people. The government contracts will require concessionaires to instruct visitors to carry out any trash they bring in.